Dearest Odyssians,
Odie, my hairless cat, practically gnawed my face off this morning until I woke up, at six am, and opened the window for him to bird watch. As part of what is fast becoming his new daily routine, I also have to cover his bald body with his fuzzy blanket just so, or else he’s too cold to sit in the ‘chill’ morning air. Today’s artic temperature before sunrise: 65° Fahrenheit.

Did I ever mention I go to bed at four am? well, I go to sleep at four am. Every night. And now I’m up. Blogging. While odie watches birds flit past his screened-in perched.

Dearest Odyssians,
The beautiful and colorful fractal curves in this illustration remind me of the loops in the infinity symbol, Aka, the sideways eight.

As many of us have been discussing, this new year (summed up) is an eight year.
Eight years are great years. And here’s why:
Eight=success. Power. Control. Mastery. authority. Executive skills, ambitious, and decisiveness. And the physical/material rewards that come from such actions.
Eight years also have shadow aspects. When the above qualities and actions are not balanced or carefully employed, eight years can be workaholic, Stressed, insensitive, manipulative, and materialistic years.
True power and success come from the ability to control the strength of the shadow beast within as we act in our own interests. Here, beast means the lower passions ( including lust) , as well as the traditional passions of greed and envy that reside within all of us. For more information, look to the qualities represented by the upright and reversed meaning of the Strength card, the eight card in major arcana tarot decks.
I’ve included a link with more information- http://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/major-arcana/strength/

Don’t let knowledge of the shadow aspects and inner beasts in the number eight scare you! Remember to tame you spiritual lion as you move towards your achievements. We are all given the ability to control our shadow aspects, if we so choose. Remember, Eight years are naturally more positive than negative. It will be hard to go wrong this year. 2015 will be a prosperous year for any of us committed to projects, work, long term goals, and not steamrolling those around us.
We look forward to seeing, and tasting, the fruits of our labors in the next twelve months with all of you, our fellow journeymen in life.

here we sit again. odie and odiemama. enthralled that the passing of time can happen so quickly with so little ado. no fanfare. no blaring trumpets. no bells or whistles. just serenity, albeit on the outskirts of our singularity. our feet and hands be still, but our minds still race and run with the idea of making all anew. changing ourselves. to change the word. schemes and dreams. visions and decisions. locations and vocations.

odie, “run free. like horsey. yes.”

odie mama, “Yes odie. your boiled-down-to-the-bones directive shall be followed. hopefully by us, the stagnant ones. but before we can go out to play in the daisies, theres just the bit about your leash training,you getting those updated brain damage inducing immunizations, you adding on that all important rabies shot, and the discussions about avoiding the poisonous sweet pea plant growing just outside the back door. if you eat it, you die.”

odie, “Eve survived.”

odie mama, “She did? and at what cost, i ask?”

odie, “Thats the grand question. who might be able to answer? how bout you mama dearest? i see you standing there. all hairless except for choice places. all proud and lanky on those 2 skinny legs of yours. everything hidden beneath modest coverings. to hide your born in shame no doubt. me. im just here. 4 legs. still naked. and not minding a minute of it except for the cold. shouldnt you be able to answer this question more than i. you sure look more like her than me?”

odiemama- “you see a lot, Doctor. But are you strong enough to point that high-powered perception at yourself?”

odie, “loved that movie..”

odie. “i did too. now pay attention will ya? you yourself are hairy in only choice regions. youre thin as a whisper. bandy could be your nickname. even your tail, though handsome, is no bigger than the common rat’s – thin enough to be counted as non existent by most breeding standards. just an f.y.i. – my tails remnants sit at the end of my spine. also, ive put many a cute sweater on you – not to hide your shame (you’re too bold to have any) but to keep you warm just as i like to be kept. so here we sit face to face. both a bit like eve before the apple. hairless. tailless for all intents and purposes. magnificently equal in many ways, except in humor which we already agree i excel at. Im able to walk on 2 legs without begging and can wipe my ass of my own accord, but that doesnt mean i have the answers to those tricky questions any more than you. i wish one of us did. we would be worth a lot of money to the other uprighters and fully tailed fur covered cats scurrying around this place.”

odie, “your skills of sophistry (aka deception) shall serve us well all the same. might even make us rich.”

odiemama. “true. if we ever find a paying profession. nonetheless, i still cant answer the grand question.”

odie, “nor can i, i rightly admit. so who does know?”

odie mama, “Depends which side we ask i suppose.”

odie, “i say flip a coin madame. for the jokes always been on us and id like to see what either side has to say about that fact.”

odiemama, “youre a clever bastard, arent you!”

odie, “the finest bred. here. use this dime ive been saving for the last couple of years. i was waiting for just the right moment. i think now is the prime occasion, dont you?”

odie mama, “One whole 10 cent piece. for such a grand question. well arent you the little spend all gentleman!”

odie, “If you see any pockets on this body of mine let me know and ill pull out a John kennedy. sheesh. humans.”

odie mama, “I was kidding, sort of. though i shouldnt joke. you’re being more than generous and that small coin shall suffice.

odie,”It better. do you have any idea where ive been hiding that piece for the last 3 years? well ill tell you. ive been hiding it in none other than my…”

odie mama, “woah buddy. some secrets need not be revealed. even on this insightful eyeopener of a blog. you know we have a staggeringly large audience now that numbers above 700 patrons. cant go telling everybody.”

odie, “thats awesome. about the numbers. but your point is?”

odiemama, “do you really want your little secret revealed to that many people”

odie, “well not everyone knows what im talking about all the time. im subtle. so without further ado here it goes. Have you seen “Papillion?”

odiemama, “oh my. yes. yes i have.”

odie, ” see thats all i was going to say. our initiates will know what it means.”

odie mama, “thats what im afraid of. im gonna go wash my hands now. and grab a clean quarter for this coin flip. just out of respect. if you dont mind.”

odie, “i dont mind at all. when youre done with my savings id appreciate it back? its good to clean it every once in a while before you put it back in its hiding place. which now ill have to change.”